165k mile BMW Z4 2.5 - 3 Careful PH Owners
Discussion
CharlesdeGaulle said:
I think we need a picture taken by a glamorous assistant of you stuck in a tight space, unable to move or get out. You owe it to the thread.
I'm not especially claustrophobic but am willing to admit to several moments of heightened panic during the process. Once you are wedged down into the boot, headfirst at the wrong angle and both feet off the ground, it's incredibly difficult to lever 15-stone into another position (or indeed, get out of the boot) using just your fingertips and your nose.Sadly no photo to share; my glamourous assistant was thankfully unaware as she would have just wet herself laughing before leaving me stuck there while she went back indoors to post said pic on FB.
Once the parcel shelf was out of the boot, plus the nearside plastic trim that holds it, I got a light down there and it all became a bit clearer.
The top of the plastic container which houses the motor could be seen just poking up, at the limit of my reach.
After the contortions mentioned above, I soon realised that being on my back in the boot, reaching over my right shoulder and doing everything by feel was the way to go. From reading a number of success stories, I was aware that the hardest part of the task seemed to be releasing/cutting the cable ties that a) hold some of the hydraulic lines together, and b) hold the two halves of the motor container together and to the bracket that's down the hole.
The problem is, you can feel the cable ties with your fingertips but you can only use one hand at a time so thrusting the side cutters into the void and blindly snipping away will very quickly lead to hydraulic fluid piddling out of all the lines you've just severed.
Time to break out the ACME cable-tie snapster (patent pending):
Bit of a pointy end, granted, but it was possible to feed it under the cable ties using only the fingertips of my right hand. Once located, gentle (ha!) pulling pressure whilst holding the T-piece and plink! - job done.
Once all the ties were no longer in the game, it took some more swearing and contortions to get hold of the motor, but soon it was out.
Looks like some sort of alien birth, doesn't it? The 'head' was a piece of waterlogged sponge that the electrical contacts sit on. You can see where the bottom of the motor has been rusting and it deposited a good dollop of rusty water onto a pre-positioned towel - thankfully, not on my upturned face - when I pulled it into the boot.
Was pretty chuffed to get to this stage without an ambulance being called but there was still room for more fun and cock-ups, as I would find out.
The top of the plastic container which houses the motor could be seen just poking up, at the limit of my reach.
After the contortions mentioned above, I soon realised that being on my back in the boot, reaching over my right shoulder and doing everything by feel was the way to go. From reading a number of success stories, I was aware that the hardest part of the task seemed to be releasing/cutting the cable ties that a) hold some of the hydraulic lines together, and b) hold the two halves of the motor container together and to the bracket that's down the hole.
The problem is, you can feel the cable ties with your fingertips but you can only use one hand at a time so thrusting the side cutters into the void and blindly snipping away will very quickly lead to hydraulic fluid piddling out of all the lines you've just severed.
Time to break out the ACME cable-tie snapster (patent pending):
Bit of a pointy end, granted, but it was possible to feed it under the cable ties using only the fingertips of my right hand. Once located, gentle (ha!) pulling pressure whilst holding the T-piece and plink! - job done.
Once all the ties were no longer in the game, it took some more swearing and contortions to get hold of the motor, but soon it was out.
Looks like some sort of alien birth, doesn't it? The 'head' was a piece of waterlogged sponge that the electrical contacts sit on. You can see where the bottom of the motor has been rusting and it deposited a good dollop of rusty water onto a pre-positioned towel - thankfully, not on my upturned face - when I pulled it into the boot.
Was pretty chuffed to get to this stage without an ambulance being called but there was still room for more fun and cock-ups, as I would find out.
The last photo above shows the electric motor bolted to the hydraulic pump. The ‘waist’ part in the middle is the chamber where the motor drive meets the pump spindley-flange.
The motor had to be dried out, so it was unbolted from the pump whilst being held over an old Le Crueset pot, lined with a rag, to catch any hydraulic fluid. I noticed a white plastic disc fall off from inside and made a mental note to reattach it to the motor drive when reassembling.
Once split from the hydraulic pump, the motor should look something like this (though clearly not as clean/shiny):
The motor was sloshed through with WD40, dried overnight and checked, the drive spindle felt ‘free’ and not binding because of any rustiness. Popped on the white plastic disc (holes facing up, who’s a clever boy?) and bolted everything back together.
Moment of truth! Ignition on, press the hood release button. Nothing.
After much faffing, checking and re-cleaning connections, I realised that the parcel shelf wasn’t fitted and therefore the microswitch wasn’t being activated to let the car know there’s room in the boot for the hood to go into. Quickly sorted.
Attempt number 2. Press release button, the latches on the windscreen rail unlatched – yes! And then, no movement of the hood. FFS.
However, the motor was definitely spinning, I could hear it. I played with it for a while, but that’s as good as it got. The latches worked, the motor ran but the roof didn’t move, even with a helping hand.
I was thinking of the white plastic disc in the drive chamber and wondering if it could be on upside down (the underside is just flat). No, all the pics I’ve seen have the top side of the disc with the holes showing.
And then it dawned on me - where’s the actual physical connection between the disc and the pump flange? The drive pin that connects the two rotating surfaces had fallen silently onto the rag in the Le Crueset pot earlier, so I wasn't even aware of its existence. Finding it was a relief but I was still kicking myself for being such a clot. Ho hum, strip it all back down again and do it properly this time.
Attempt number 3. Press button, roof unlatches and then it starts to move – joy. However, it was very jerky and its movements at either end of its travel were accompanied by high-pitched shrieking.
But the opening and closing sequences did work as they should, essentially; I was happy with that. The noise/jerkiness suggested that the hydraulic fluid level would need topping up – I probably spilled more than I realised when the motor came off, particularly as I had it apart more than once. The hydraulic jack oil from Halfords is perfect for the job, rather than OEM stuff from BMW which is five times the price.
There’s a tiny allen screw on the top of the hydraulic pump reservoir into which a mini funnel I found in a kitchen drawer fits perfectly. Quick top up and a test – perfect! The roof moves smoothly and quietly. I ran it through the open/close sequence a number of times and it seemed fine. I intend to give the moving parts of the hood frame a bit of silicone lube when I remember.
Last part of the job was to secure the motor/pump assembly into the little space in the boot. Luckily, there’s a few metal bracket loops in that area behind the carpet, so a half dozen thick cable ties did the trick, after lining the space with strips cut from an old yoga mat and wrapping the motor in its original sponge insulation, for protection and to reduce the motor noise. The assembly is secured upright at 45 degrees, the hydraulic pump at the top pointing towards the front of the car, with the hydraulic lines feeding back into the void they came from via a small cut out in the plastic trim.
As it looks now (carpets need a clean):
Other similar conversions have the motor/pump attached on top of the side carpets, which helps with making the carpets fit properly and look a bit more ‘neat’ perhaps, but I decided to cover mine over.
Difficulty level? Mechanically, it’s very basic and straightforward indeed. It’s just bloody awkward to get at and staying calm/being patient/refusing to get flustered or radgey is the best thing for it. Just working on the motor inside the boot was more difficult than one might imagine, balancing on elbows, your back aching badly and the flash light always shining in the wrong direction.
Helpful if you’re small and flexible; I’m neither!
Overall, a very satisfying job to complete and a decent saving. I had the roof off at the weekend a couple of times – my goodness, how mild is it at the moment?! - and there was definitely some smugness involved.
The motor had to be dried out, so it was unbolted from the pump whilst being held over an old Le Crueset pot, lined with a rag, to catch any hydraulic fluid. I noticed a white plastic disc fall off from inside and made a mental note to reattach it to the motor drive when reassembling.
Once split from the hydraulic pump, the motor should look something like this (though clearly not as clean/shiny):
The motor was sloshed through with WD40, dried overnight and checked, the drive spindle felt ‘free’ and not binding because of any rustiness. Popped on the white plastic disc (holes facing up, who’s a clever boy?) and bolted everything back together.
Moment of truth! Ignition on, press the hood release button. Nothing.
After much faffing, checking and re-cleaning connections, I realised that the parcel shelf wasn’t fitted and therefore the microswitch wasn’t being activated to let the car know there’s room in the boot for the hood to go into. Quickly sorted.
Attempt number 2. Press release button, the latches on the windscreen rail unlatched – yes! And then, no movement of the hood. FFS.
However, the motor was definitely spinning, I could hear it. I played with it for a while, but that’s as good as it got. The latches worked, the motor ran but the roof didn’t move, even with a helping hand.
I was thinking of the white plastic disc in the drive chamber and wondering if it could be on upside down (the underside is just flat). No, all the pics I’ve seen have the top side of the disc with the holes showing.
And then it dawned on me - where’s the actual physical connection between the disc and the pump flange? The drive pin that connects the two rotating surfaces had fallen silently onto the rag in the Le Crueset pot earlier, so I wasn't even aware of its existence. Finding it was a relief but I was still kicking myself for being such a clot. Ho hum, strip it all back down again and do it properly this time.
Attempt number 3. Press button, roof unlatches and then it starts to move – joy. However, it was very jerky and its movements at either end of its travel were accompanied by high-pitched shrieking.
But the opening and closing sequences did work as they should, essentially; I was happy with that. The noise/jerkiness suggested that the hydraulic fluid level would need topping up – I probably spilled more than I realised when the motor came off, particularly as I had it apart more than once. The hydraulic jack oil from Halfords is perfect for the job, rather than OEM stuff from BMW which is five times the price.
There’s a tiny allen screw on the top of the hydraulic pump reservoir into which a mini funnel I found in a kitchen drawer fits perfectly. Quick top up and a test – perfect! The roof moves smoothly and quietly. I ran it through the open/close sequence a number of times and it seemed fine. I intend to give the moving parts of the hood frame a bit of silicone lube when I remember.
Last part of the job was to secure the motor/pump assembly into the little space in the boot. Luckily, there’s a few metal bracket loops in that area behind the carpet, so a half dozen thick cable ties did the trick, after lining the space with strips cut from an old yoga mat and wrapping the motor in its original sponge insulation, for protection and to reduce the motor noise. The assembly is secured upright at 45 degrees, the hydraulic pump at the top pointing towards the front of the car, with the hydraulic lines feeding back into the void they came from via a small cut out in the plastic trim.
As it looks now (carpets need a clean):
Other similar conversions have the motor/pump attached on top of the side carpets, which helps with making the carpets fit properly and look a bit more ‘neat’ perhaps, but I decided to cover mine over.
Difficulty level? Mechanically, it’s very basic and straightforward indeed. It’s just bloody awkward to get at and staying calm/being patient/refusing to get flustered or radgey is the best thing for it. Just working on the motor inside the boot was more difficult than one might imagine, balancing on elbows, your back aching badly and the flash light always shining in the wrong direction.
Helpful if you’re small and flexible; I’m neither!
Overall, a very satisfying job to complete and a decent saving. I had the roof off at the weekend a couple of times – my goodness, how mild is it at the moment?! - and there was definitely some smugness involved.
Mr Tidy said:
Good luck with the roof motor relocation! 
Nice one - as you can see, there were a few stumbles but mission accomplished 
0a said:
Brilliant work! I love the methodological approach and great to hear you got it working again.
Thanks! It was one of those jobs where the risk factor was low i.e. I couldn't make things worse by inadvertently rendering the car undriveable.Now looking forward to some crisp dry winter days with the roof down, heating and bum warmers set to HI.
bolidemichael said:
Do you have a thread on the Ferrero Rocher? It's the first time I've seen that colour and I'm quite smitten.
Took a few days but it randomly popped into my head - the colour is Champagne Gold 473 (I'm 99% sure!).CharlesdeGaulle said:
Nice work lemansky. Impressive skillz!
Thanks, CdeG - better not get too carried away until we see how long it lasts!I must admit, I was expecting an observation on the use of an Aga and a Le Creuset pot
ETA: to the kindly mod who tweaked the thread title - thank you.
Good effort with the motor. Luckily mine was relocated prior to me owning the car.
However my roof has become a bit intermittent and slow. The motor clearly has seen water in its life so is a bit crusty. What level did you fill the reservoir to? It’s hard to tell when it sits at an angle but I’d guess my reservoir is approximately 70-75% full but struggling to find info on how much is actually meant to be in there.
However my roof has become a bit intermittent and slow. The motor clearly has seen water in its life so is a bit crusty. What level did you fill the reservoir to? It’s hard to tell when it sits at an angle but I’d guess my reservoir is approximately 70-75% full but struggling to find info on how much is actually meant to be in there.
Edited by SteBrown91 on Thursday 11th November 21:51
Good question - have a look at this thread:
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94472
I looked at the photo of the pump which was canted over at 45 degrees and copied that, but squeezed in an extra bit of oil to be on the safe side. So far, so good.
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94472
I looked at the photo of the pump which was canted over at 45 degrees and copied that, but squeezed in an extra bit of oil to be on the safe side. So far, so good.
If you’ve managed to stay awake so far – well done! Next job will be a quickie – removing the Clutch Delay Valve.
It was discussed earlier in this thread so no need to wax too rhapsodic about it (as I am clearly wont to do).
One common theory for its conception and use was as a preventative mechanical precaution for BMW’s USA market, which (apparently) is full of punters who only know how to drive automatics and therefore can’t change gear properly. Sounds feasible, if not a little unfair.
However, it makes the clutch operation feel horribly woolly and difficult to modulate. An unexpected comical bonus is making you relive the torture of driving in front of your mates for the first time (having only just passed your test) as your car kangaroos down the street.
Removing the little blighter is desirable and common.
I forgot to take pictures as I went, so here's a (nicked off the internet) photo of what the finished job should look like.
The CDV resides roughly where the red line is and the 17mm hex head on the valve sits next in line to the 17mm nut on the flexible hose side (blue arrow).
This is what my CDV looked like when removed (I've half-heartedly orientated the photo to show it's fitting position relative to the picture above with all the pretty arrows). So much misery and terrible gearchanges caused by such a tiny little thing; it's maybe an inch and a half long.
Method: jack up the car nice and high on the passenger side and get the axle stands in place. Slide under the car behind the front wheel, not quite as far as the centre-line of the car and the CDV is above, under the clutch slave cylinder. Clamp the flexible hose (pink arrow) to minimise any fluid loss, and with a couple of 17mm spanners, one where the blue arrow is, one on the CDV itself, slightly loosen the CDV from the flexible hose side.
Then, holding one 17mm spanner on the CDV, use a 12mm (I think) spanner on the pipe flare-nut (green arrow) to disconnect that side of the pipework. The CDV can then be quickly unscrewed and removed from the flexible hose and put to one side.
After this, simply connect the two remaining loose bits of pipe back together, making sure they go through the grommet on the bracket and that the spring clip (yellow arrow) is still in place. Make sure all the nuts are nipped up snug and remove the flexible hose clamp.
A tiny amount of clutch fluid bleeding was required from the nipple located above on the slave cylinder (with a plastic cap on it) using a 7mm socket, but air was expelled through gravity as the fluid reservoir resides above. When I bled mine, there was only a tiny dribble before the fluid ran clear and the nipple was tightened. There was no need for any pedal-pumping. I've kept an eye on the reservoir but no topping up has been needed.
Job done! And I can confirm that the clutch feel has been improved massively. It’s a no-brainer of an upgrade job - costs nowt, for a start - and is very quick & easy to do.
I imagine getting access to it is most owner's stumbling block, but any budding DIY-er should have a decent quality jack and some axle stands. Being underneath a car still gives me the wim-wams occasionally, but as long as it's supported correctly, the rest of the job is very straightforward.
It was discussed earlier in this thread so no need to wax too rhapsodic about it (as I am clearly wont to do).
One common theory for its conception and use was as a preventative mechanical precaution for BMW’s USA market, which (apparently) is full of punters who only know how to drive automatics and therefore can’t change gear properly. Sounds feasible, if not a little unfair.
However, it makes the clutch operation feel horribly woolly and difficult to modulate. An unexpected comical bonus is making you relive the torture of driving in front of your mates for the first time (having only just passed your test) as your car kangaroos down the street.
Removing the little blighter is desirable and common.
I forgot to take pictures as I went, so here's a (nicked off the internet) photo of what the finished job should look like.
The CDV resides roughly where the red line is and the 17mm hex head on the valve sits next in line to the 17mm nut on the flexible hose side (blue arrow).
This is what my CDV looked like when removed (I've half-heartedly orientated the photo to show it's fitting position relative to the picture above with all the pretty arrows). So much misery and terrible gearchanges caused by such a tiny little thing; it's maybe an inch and a half long.
Method: jack up the car nice and high on the passenger side and get the axle stands in place. Slide under the car behind the front wheel, not quite as far as the centre-line of the car and the CDV is above, under the clutch slave cylinder. Clamp the flexible hose (pink arrow) to minimise any fluid loss, and with a couple of 17mm spanners, one where the blue arrow is, one on the CDV itself, slightly loosen the CDV from the flexible hose side.
Then, holding one 17mm spanner on the CDV, use a 12mm (I think) spanner on the pipe flare-nut (green arrow) to disconnect that side of the pipework. The CDV can then be quickly unscrewed and removed from the flexible hose and put to one side.
After this, simply connect the two remaining loose bits of pipe back together, making sure they go through the grommet on the bracket and that the spring clip (yellow arrow) is still in place. Make sure all the nuts are nipped up snug and remove the flexible hose clamp.
A tiny amount of clutch fluid bleeding was required from the nipple located above on the slave cylinder (with a plastic cap on it) using a 7mm socket, but air was expelled through gravity as the fluid reservoir resides above. When I bled mine, there was only a tiny dribble before the fluid ran clear and the nipple was tightened. There was no need for any pedal-pumping. I've kept an eye on the reservoir but no topping up has been needed.
Job done! And I can confirm that the clutch feel has been improved massively. It’s a no-brainer of an upgrade job - costs nowt, for a start - and is very quick & easy to do.
I imagine getting access to it is most owner's stumbling block, but any budding DIY-er should have a decent quality jack and some axle stands. Being underneath a car still gives me the wim-wams occasionally, but as long as it's supported correctly, the rest of the job is very straightforward.
lemansky said:
Mr Tidy said:
Good luck with the roof motor relocation!
Nice one - as you can see, there were a few stumbles but mission accomplished 0a said:
Great job! By all accounts it isn't a complicated job, just very awkward! For anyone who doesn't have your determination and/or spannering skills there are a few people on z4forum who can do it for less than £200 - which is a bargain when BMW charge around £1,200 for a new motor!
Luckily my 3 Z4s have all been Coupes.
Removing the CDV has to be done. A big improvement that costs nothing other than time. I've had 3 removed from BMWs with a 4th needing it done.
Luckily my 3 Z4s have all been Coupes.
Removing the CDV has to be done. A big improvement that costs nothing other than time. I've had 3 removed from BMWs with a 4th needing it done.
Good work so far.
The motor looks / sounds like a litre bigger to get to. I thought it was annoying enough trying to remove the fan motor from my 130 (under / behind the glove box) which had to be done on my back with the door sill digging in.
CDV removal makes such a big difference. It’s a bit easier in the later cars because there is no need for spanners, they’re push fit wit securing clips.
The motor looks / sounds like a litre bigger to get to. I thought it was annoying enough trying to remove the fan motor from my 130 (under / behind the glove box) which had to be done on my back with the door sill digging in.
CDV removal makes such a big difference. It’s a bit easier in the later cars because there is no need for spanners, they’re push fit wit securing clips.
Court_S said:
Good work so far.
Cheers! It was great to get these two jobs done. As I progressed with the next couple of tasks, it became apparent that things might not get any easier. I wanted to replace the cable that connects the outer drivers door handle to the lock/latch mechanism inside of the door. What an utterly infuriating pig of a job!
Working inside door cards isn’t something that I am fazed by, but I won’t be repeating this task voluntarily.
The cable is now installed and the door handle works as it should but it took a whole afternoon on my knees, cursing and bleeding to accomplish.
Top tip: pay someone else to do this job. Not good for the blood pressure.
Yesterday was gloriously sunny and a blat down the coast - roof down, heater blasting - was the order of the day.
No pics, sorry - I was busy having too much fun to stop.
What a cracking little thing!
Cracking thread, always liked these. I was tempted with an e89 but they seem to be increasing in price along with my house reno cost. I look at mx5s again but they seems to be keen as well now so I keep coming back to e85's. 3.0's was the only option but warming to the idea of a decent 2.5 now to.
some good cars at reasonable prices to be had. hopefully pick one up before march when the summer prices will start kicking in.
some good cars at reasonable prices to be had. hopefully pick one up before march when the summer prices will start kicking in.
The next job I had lined up was one of those 'should only take half an hour, I can do that before dinner' kind of things.
The driver's seat belt wasn't retracting as it should and, although it would do its job in a crash, it looked untidy being strewn across the seat when not in use. Every time I got in the car, it reminded me of using an old TR6 many, many years ago (except the bit about crashing).
I was guessing that the inertia reel would be at fault and ordered one off eBay from a breaker for £20-ish. Before getting around to fitting it, I read a tip on the Z4 Forum which suggested that a bit of trim attached to the inertia reel body (which guides the belt and stops it kinking) might just need refitting/adjusting.
Ah well, at least I'd have a spare belt if that was the case.
The inertia reel is bolted to the bulkhead behind the seat, so access to it means being half in/out of the boot again. After grappling with the flashlight and trying to keep the carpet trim propped up and out of the way, I managed to unbolt the reel to find the trim had indeed jumped off its mounting. I was confident a quick fix was on the cards.
An hour later, I could hear voices in my head of the Holby City nurses shouting, "he's tachycardic! Get the crash trolley!"
The inertia reel had pulled through all the slack from the cabin and then jammed solid. Nothing I tried made any difference; the belt was not for extending, no matter which angle I held the reel at. It was so tight that I couldn't even slide the driver's seat forward and unbolt it inside the cabin. I was losing my cool.
I thought I'd give my back a break and try playing with the spare eBay inertia reel, to see what I might be missing. Another eureka moment dawned as I realised the answer to my problem was in my hands, literally. Dinner was getting cold and I'd had enough.
Acme Mk1 Seat Belt Release Tool:
I attached a length of 2-core wire to the old belt before it was pulled through the bulkhead and used it to pull the new belt end back through to the cabin, all the while silently cursing myself for not doing all this an hour before. Got everything in place, bolted it all up and good to go. The belt now retracts as intended and it's quite surprising just how satisfying that is, an easy fix for something that you usually take for granted.
A fine and added bonus from chopping the old belt off was that I now had a spare belt buckle. It had annoyed me on several occasions previously that the weight sensor on the passenger seat seemed overly sensitive and would ping the seatbelt warning sign as I was driving, if I'd put pretty much anything (eg a phone, a sandwich etc) on the seat itself.
I now leave the spare loose buckle plugged in at all times (unless avec passagère, obvs).
The driver's seat belt wasn't retracting as it should and, although it would do its job in a crash, it looked untidy being strewn across the seat when not in use. Every time I got in the car, it reminded me of using an old TR6 many, many years ago (except the bit about crashing).
I was guessing that the inertia reel would be at fault and ordered one off eBay from a breaker for £20-ish. Before getting around to fitting it, I read a tip on the Z4 Forum which suggested that a bit of trim attached to the inertia reel body (which guides the belt and stops it kinking) might just need refitting/adjusting.
Ah well, at least I'd have a spare belt if that was the case.
The inertia reel is bolted to the bulkhead behind the seat, so access to it means being half in/out of the boot again. After grappling with the flashlight and trying to keep the carpet trim propped up and out of the way, I managed to unbolt the reel to find the trim had indeed jumped off its mounting. I was confident a quick fix was on the cards.
An hour later, I could hear voices in my head of the Holby City nurses shouting, "he's tachycardic! Get the crash trolley!"
The inertia reel had pulled through all the slack from the cabin and then jammed solid. Nothing I tried made any difference; the belt was not for extending, no matter which angle I held the reel at. It was so tight that I couldn't even slide the driver's seat forward and unbolt it inside the cabin. I was losing my cool.
I thought I'd give my back a break and try playing with the spare eBay inertia reel, to see what I might be missing. Another eureka moment dawned as I realised the answer to my problem was in my hands, literally. Dinner was getting cold and I'd had enough.
Acme Mk1 Seat Belt Release Tool:
I attached a length of 2-core wire to the old belt before it was pulled through the bulkhead and used it to pull the new belt end back through to the cabin, all the while silently cursing myself for not doing all this an hour before. Got everything in place, bolted it all up and good to go. The belt now retracts as intended and it's quite surprising just how satisfying that is, an easy fix for something that you usually take for granted.
A fine and added bonus from chopping the old belt off was that I now had a spare belt buckle. It had annoyed me on several occasions previously that the weight sensor on the passenger seat seemed overly sensitive and would ping the seatbelt warning sign as I was driving, if I'd put pretty much anything (eg a phone, a sandwich etc) on the seat itself.
I now leave the spare loose buckle plugged in at all times (unless avec passagère, obvs).
Whilst climbing in/out of the boot during the roof motor relocation, it became apparent that the boot carpets were damp/wet, so there was probably a leak somewhere to be found. The wettest part turned out to be the removable floor piece, directly in front of the load lip and this was immediately pulled out and stuck on top of the Aga.
(You're quite correct, CdeG - there's no other civilised alternative.)
The battery lives in a plastic compartment under the carpet section I'd removed and this had an inch of water at the bottom of it. It wasn't too difficult to figure out that the leak was coming from inside the boot lid itself and with the boot seals all looking okay, the most likely location was around the hi-level brake light.
Further reading showed that this was quite a common fault. The plastic lens of the light cracks at its edges over time, with slamming the boot etc and mine had a few small sections that had broken off. Time for a new one.
There are plenty of knock-off eBay specials to choose from, but I decided to splash out and buy an OEM BMW part as getting the right fit to stop water leaks was important. Discovering that the clear-lens units are actually cheaper than the red ones (even though both types apparently use red LEDs), I ordered one of those instead as I thought it would look smarter against the grey paintwork.
Fitting was a 5 minute job, three 8mm nuts and a small connector. There are springs and washers on the top side of the nuts so that the unit is held under tension and it's important not to over-tighten the nuts, or the new lens will also crack in fairly short order.
After a few weeks of use and we've had plenty of rain:
No water collecting in the compartment and the carpets are bone dry.
Happy with that.
(You're quite correct, CdeG - there's no other civilised alternative.)
The battery lives in a plastic compartment under the carpet section I'd removed and this had an inch of water at the bottom of it. It wasn't too difficult to figure out that the leak was coming from inside the boot lid itself and with the boot seals all looking okay, the most likely location was around the hi-level brake light.
Further reading showed that this was quite a common fault. The plastic lens of the light cracks at its edges over time, with slamming the boot etc and mine had a few small sections that had broken off. Time for a new one.
There are plenty of knock-off eBay specials to choose from, but I decided to splash out and buy an OEM BMW part as getting the right fit to stop water leaks was important. Discovering that the clear-lens units are actually cheaper than the red ones (even though both types apparently use red LEDs), I ordered one of those instead as I thought it would look smarter against the grey paintwork.
Fitting was a 5 minute job, three 8mm nuts and a small connector. There are springs and washers on the top side of the nuts so that the unit is held under tension and it's important not to over-tighten the nuts, or the new lens will also crack in fairly short order.
After a few weeks of use and we've had plenty of rain:
No water collecting in the compartment and the carpets are bone dry.
Happy with that.
lemansky said:
Further reading showed that this was quite a common fault. The plastic lens of the light cracks at its edges over time, with slamming the boot etc and mine had a few small sections that had broken off. Time for a new one.
Aiui the main cause was over tightening of the spring screws at the factory. When I did mine I tightened it the least I thought I could and it's been fine.Enjoying your write ups, hope you're enjoying the car.
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